The fluid handling systems of interest typically handle corrosive and toxic materials, but may handle non-toxic and even inert fluids as well. The fluids may be in the form of gases, vapors, and liquids under various degrees of pressure that can be positive or negative relative to atmospheric pressure. The fluid handling systems are useful in the chemical processing industry in general, whether that industry relates to semiconductor processing, MEMS and micro device fabrication, energy conversion and device fabrication, pharmaceutical production, biomaterial production or analysis, and a multitude of other instances where the ease in obtaining a sealed fluid handling system is important, ease of configuring the fluid handling system is important, and ability to maintain the fluid handling system with minimal down time is important.
Semiconductor processing utilizes inert, toxic, corrosive, and flammable gases which require the use of various operative fluid flow control and fluid filtering devices to ensure that the proper quantity of contaminant free gas reaches a semiconductor process chamber. The operative fluid flow control and filtering devices, for example, are assembled in linear clusters of interconnected elements forming individual gas specific flow control channels which are known in the industry as “gas sticks”. Typically, these gas sticks are then typically mounted to a common manifold, with the entire distribution assembly then mounted to a pallet for handling and maintenance purpose. These gas sticks are typically single channel devices. The semiconductor industry employs processing which makes use of processing gases which are toxic and/or corrosive. There are numerous publications, including patents, which relate to fluid handling systems for the semiconductor industry. Such gases, or liquids and vapors require specialized handling equipment for transport, pressure reduction, filtering, mass flow control, fluid mixing and other known related functions.
Examples of related disclosures which are informative regarding previous efforts to meet industry needs include U.S. Pat. No. 6,125,887 to Pinto, issued Oct. 3, 2000, discloses welded modular blocks provided in a variety of standard selectable configurations that permit fabrication of gas panels and other fluid flow control systems for high purity, leak-proof applications. Each module is pre-welded and provided with mating ports to receive gas control components such as valves, controllers, pressure regulators, and the like. The mating ports are configured to receive a single one gas control component on each of opposing sides. Each module is also provided with one or more connector tube stubs which may be welded to a tube stub of another module to form an array of modular blocks and associated components. The components are bolted to the modular blocks and may be readily removed for servicing. The welding of the standardized blocks obviates costly seals otherwise needed to prevent leakage.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,463 to Redemann, issued Nov. 30, 1999; U.S. Pat. No. 6,189,570 to Redemann, issued Feb. 20, 2001; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,310 to Redemann, issued Sep. 25, 2001; each disclose a gas panel for use with a tool for manufacturing a semiconductor includes a one-piece manifold body having an inlet for receiving a process gas. The manifold body has at least one lateral wall extending in the general direction of the gas flow. The lateral wall includes at least one operative device site having an operative device thereon. In some embodiments, the operative device sites are all configured on a single side of the manifold body. In other embodiments, the operative device sites are all configured on adjacent sides of the manifold body. In either case, gas carrying pathways formed in the manifold body for connecting component receiving stations on the same or adjacent side are V-shaped. The operative device is in gas communication with a gas carrying path. The operative device may be a manual valve, a pneumatic valve, a pressure regulator, a pressure transducer, a purifier, a filter, or a flow controller. The gas is received from the operative device at a continuation of the gas flow path in the manifold body and is conveyed to a manifold outlet and ultimately to the tool.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,016 to Manofsky, issued May 30, 2000, discloses a modular, monolithic pump-purge system which can be integrated into a modular, monolithic fluid handling system without creating a closed tolerance loop. In particular the pump-purge system comprises a plurality of valves mounted on a modular monolithic fluid handling system. At least a portion, and preferably all of the fluid transfer conduits necessary for either applying a vacuum (or other evacuation means) to a fluid handling system conduit which is to be evacuated (pumped), or for transfer of flushing fluid within a conduit (purging) are present within monolithic manifolds of the fluid handling system. The modular, monolithic manifold of the pump-purge system contains openings and fluid flow conduits which correspond with openings and fluid flow conduits of the modular, monolithic fluid handling system, to enable evacuation or flushing of a selected fluid flow conduit within the fluid handling system. To avoid the formation of a closed tolerance loop, it is necessary that the pump-purge manifold or a portion of the modular, monolithic fluid handling system manifold to which it is attached be sufficiently free-floating to permit making of all necessary connections without creating stress which can lead to an increased rate of corrosion or failure of the connection. In some embodiments of the gas handling system, the gas handling flow lines which make up the system are comprised of individual sticks of gas handling elements, each of which is attached to the manifold of the pump-purge system that is free-floating.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,394,138 to Kim Vu, issued May 28, 2002, discloses a manifold system for enabling a distribution of fluids includes a plurality of individual manifold blocks that can be joined together to form a gas stick. Each manifold block has a fluid passageway with an entrance port and exit port accessing a common surface.
An operative component can be mounted to one manifold block, while extending across a port of an adjacent manifold block. An alignment system can be provided to ensure that the entrance and exit ports are positioned in a plane containing the common surface to facilitate sealing.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,546,961 to Yoshitomo Fukushima, issued Apr. 15, 2003 discloses an integrated gas control device that has an elongated base having a pair of ribs longitudinally extending on the base to form a groove there-between. A plurality of passage blocks are mounted in the groove. Each of the passage blocks has a gas passage having openings opened at an upper surface at both ends of the block. A plurality of gas control equipments are mounted on adjacent passage blocks. Each of the gas control equipments is installed on the base.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,874,538 to Kevin S. Bennett, issued Apr. 5, 2005 discloses a fluid delivery system, including a mounting structure, a plurality of rows of locator alignment components secured to the mounting structure, and a plurality of rows of fluid connecting pieces, each having inlet and outlet ports and a fluid communication passage interconnecting the ports. The fluid connecting pieces are arranged in pairs, each pair including two of the fluid connecting pieces located next to one another in a respective row of fluid connecting components. The fluid connecting pieces of each pair are releasably held by and aligned relative to one another by a respective one of the locator alignment components. A plurality of manifold pieces extend transversely to the rows of fluid connecting pieces. At least one manifold piece has a manifold passage with a center line crossing over a center line interconnecting to the farthest ports of one of the pairs and is removable without removing the locator alignment component by which the respective pair is held from the mounting structure.
Those skilled in the art recognize a number of issues associated with prior art fluid distribution systems. First, cost of materials is quite high due to the extensive amount of difficult to obtain and costly ultra-pure stainless steel involved in the manufacture of individual operative fluid flow control and filtering devices that make up a gas stick. Additional manufacturing costs for individual operative fluid flow control and filtering devices are quite high due to multiple machining steps and the multiple fittings and pipe sections that need to be welded so that the individual operative fluid flow control and filtering devices can be secured to one another. Similarly the assembly and disassembly of those devices can be relatively labor intensive. This type of design is also prone to leakage due to the loosening of fittings under sustained vibration loads.
Efforts to alleviate these problems have resulted in the use of modular surface mount designs incorporating substrate block systems on which operative fluid flow control and filtering devices are mounted in a serial manner to form individual gas sticks. These designs practically eliminate the need for welding of interconnect fittings by forming a continuous flow channel through the use of metal seals between the substrate blocks and the corresponding surface mounted operative fluid flow control and filtering devices.
Nevertheless, modular surface mount designs continue to incorporate a relatively significant amount of costly ultra-pure stainless steel. Modular surface mount designs also require an inordinate number of parts to complete a gas delivery system. In fact they contain significantly more parts than the prior art systems they are designed to replace. High part count results in significant inventory control problems and possible parts shortages. Also, large number of parts increases the complexity of manufacturing.
Modular surface mount designs also require that all operative fluid flow control and filtering devices be located on the same side of the individual gas sticks for ease of maintenance. This requirement drives costly and more complex designs for gas sticks.